The word escapism, as defined in the Net, refers to a mental diversion by means of entertainment or recreation, as an “escape” from the perceived unpleasant or banal aspects of daily life. It can also be used as a term to define the actions people take to help relieve persisting feelings of depression or general sadness. Ironically, for a society that claims to be always “happy,” Filipinos are fond of engaging in activities to escape reality, such as by watching television. The reason why Filipinos want to “escape” reality is because reality for them is so harsh that the only thing that can keep some of us from jumping off a cliff is the promise of seeing a better life through other people’s lives.

Unfortunately, running away from our problems by “escaping” to a different world will not make these problems disappear, especially if all we watch are telenovelas and gossip shows about celebrities. In fact we have been running away from our problems far too long that these keep coming back to bite us.

The Philippines has a dysfunctional culture…yada, yada, yada! Frankly, even Filipinos with half a brain already know and acknowledge this, but we here at Antipinoy.com still try our best to find different ways of explaining it in the hope of reaching those who are totally clueless or are still in denial about it. We may as well be talking to a rock, though. We can talk about our culture’s dysfunction ’til kingdom come, but unfortunately we can’t make a real difference until mainstream media shapes up and helps in this endeavor. The reality is that we can only reach a handful of people through blogging, and just hope for the best in the next 100 years or so.

In this age of Twitter, Facebook, Kindle and the iPad, television is still the best tool that could be employed to change an entire society’s mentality. According to figures from TIME magazine, “across the developing world, around 45% of households had TV in 1995; by 2005 the number had climbed above 60%.” That’s not a lot if you compare it to western households where there are more TV’s than people, but it still means that there are more people who own TVs than those who have access to the Internet.

This is exactly the case in the Philippines where the majority of the population is still not connected to the Net. This means that there are a lot of Filipinos missing out on the Internet revolution. Perhaps the Philippine broadcast industry, most notably ABS-CBN whose shareholders are associated with President Noynoy Aquino are aware of this. Maybe that is why they can rest on their laurels as their minions on television continue to work their magic on their catatonic audiences. It is so easy to entertain these folks by publishing photos of P.Noy accepting his first paycheck or visiting television networks for precisely that, a photo op. Never mind that the real problems of the country remain unresolved.

It comes as no surprise that despite the noise we and some other like-minded people created on the Net to elevate the level of discussion during and after the election, it hardly makes a difference to the way our public officials behave. You could only wonder if P.Noy himself is Internet savvy because it seems that he is not aware of any criticism of him coming from the Net. Maybe it could be a case of his handlers filtering information they perceive as negative from coming to his attention.

Funny enough, P.Noy recently questioned the amount of time television networks devote to entertainment shows compared to “socially relevant programming.” Although what he said is true of our television networks, this also is indicative how much in the dark he may be about how the television networks owned and operated by his pals helped give him more exposure on air (and more space on paper) during the election campaign than any other candidate.

It is high time that television be used as a medium to transform the lives of the marginalized portion of Philippine society rather than dumb it down further. If P.Noy is genuine about his desire to change television programming, he should start with shows that catapulted his sister to stardom. Chat shows that talk about people and their love life rather than explore ideas of substance should be purged from local television.

Shows that encourage dependence on hand-outs and escapism like Wowowee should not be revived again and should be replaced with programs that encourage self-sufficiency and self-reliance like those that provide information that could help in the development of one’s skills such as crafts shows or science and technology documentaries. TV networks need to develop shows that promote entrepreneurship and skill development. They should create original programs and not just copy off western reality TV shows.

Telenovelas or drama shows should be limited to the adult time slots because kids are impressionable and tend to mimic reel life in their real lives. Likewise, drama shows tend to stunt the development of the human brain and make them susceptible to gullibility as in the case of those who voted for P.Noy in the last election. It makes sense to apply the mind conditioning that helped propel P.Noy to power for use in helping Filipinos get used to using their critical analysis faculties a bit more.

They say, and I totally agree, that television has the most transformative impact on women. In India, a study conducted by Robert Jensen and Emily Oster found that when cable TV reached villages, women were more likely to make decisions over child health care and less likely to think that men had the right to beat their wives. TV also played a role in adult education in Gujarat, India. It was said that those who routinely watched Bollywood songs and dance clips had seen significant improvement in their reading skills.

Of course, television is a double-edged sword. It has its drawbacks. Too much television has been associated with violence, obesity and social isolation. But to be sure, TV has done more good than harm worldwide. A good show can actually encourage people to read more books.

Television can change people’s lives. At the moment, Philippine television networks are contributing to changing Filipino lives for the worse because of their penchant for sensationalism and nonsensical shows. One can only hope that the powerful television executives can find it in their hearts to change the course of the plot so the Filipino people can look forward to a happier ending.

89 Responses to Television can save the Philippines

It is difficult to change the situation if there is no economic incentive. TV executives will continue to allow the production of garbage as long as they make money out of it. I believe the answer also lies on the companies that sponsor these shows. If they withhold their ads, I bet these TV execs will sober up.

i think the burden lies in content creators. its a fact that pinoys prefer a certain ‘brand’ of entertainment and culture wont change over night. in other words, people’s tastes won’t change. its a dead lock for everyone. content creators should step up: entertain and educate.

Good point, but remember, these content creators are paid employees. They act out of the overall company policy. So in the end they don’t have the power. This is where the power of the purse plays a great deal. If there is no advertiser, a show cannot go on, plain and simple.

If these big moneyed companies throw their weight behind informative shows, say documentaries, I won’t be surprised if one day documentaries are being aired on prime time TV. I don’t believe that pinoys would love to watch wowowee if there was an alternative. Who’s not going to watch wowowee if you’re only being made to choose between that and eat bulaga? Bakit walang nagra-rally sa lansangan now that wowowee has been pulled off air? It only means that people are only eating what’s being served, it’s not a matter of taste.

Although I agree with you that content creators are, to some degree, accountable for this GIGO society that we have become, they don’t hold the key. Those with the money do.

i always believe that we can create good shows if we want to, if we put our minds to it. bottom line is entertainment for both ends of the spectrum: moneyed producers on one end and audience on the other. there’s no two ways about it, we love to disappear in front of the TV.

but dig this, lourd de veyra’s ‘word of the lourd’ is very entertaining, and at the same time it gets you to think. but then again, TV, it doesn’t have to be hardline educational every time now, does it? what i’m saying is, first things first; we shouldn’t suck at making entertainment, educational or not. batibot was great by the way. we should have more of those 🙂

BTW, shows in discovery channel are very entertaining as they are educational. my point is that even educational shows should be entertaining. they can’t be boring, otherwise people are known to switch channels when they get bored

And it highly depends on the intended audience. This is coming from a person whom part of my young life watching american TV I tuned into PBS. OFTEN. In fact I credit most of my educational curiosity through shows like Carmen Sandiego, 321 contact and entire NOVA series. Hell my ENTIRE FAMILY watched it as well. PBS had educational shows covered that appeal to different age groups but still piques some interest.

The problem of course is that the people respond to the response of the market and sadly its nothing more than the masas which have been conditioned and trained by ABS-CBN and GMA7. Even their attempt at educational shows are nothing more than entertainment as opposed to the actual content. To them what I watched may be boring since they wouldn’t be concerned about scientific discoveries or global awareness but would rather have their heartstrings tugged for 4 hours by recycled telenovela plot and concepts.

I think it boils down to how they sell the shows with substance to prospective sponsors. If they create enough hype around it, there will be enough sponsors and audience for it. Besides, it should not always be about their bottom line. They should create shows that will help enlighten people as a public service as well. Otherwise, they can’t claim to be God fearing if their only main concern is their revenue. And for their part, the government should actually encourage television networks to produce shows that are “socially relevant” by giving them tax breaks if and when they do it.

Or the government (ehem! MTRCB! ehem!) should grow some spine and ban moronic shows outright. I do believe these TV companies will even allow broadcasting of pornography if not for the rules set by the government. Imagine the revenues they would rake in.

I do agree with your point, but unfortunately at the way things are going in pinas right now, I don’t think TV companies think about public service. Ever wonder why news broadcasts are always interlaced with “chika minute” and other gossip? Not to mention the amount of time that advertisements take is longer than the news program itself. It is always about the bottom line.

It’s the old chicken and egg thing – which comes first. Well, if they are just worried about their income, they’ll never think of creating different shows from what we have now. The thing is, with all the moneyed people in the Philippines, you have to wonder why no one even thinks of sponsoring shows with an edge. Labour is so cheap in the country and you can even hire unknown actors for peanuts. I think creative people are really hard to come by. You can’t really stop creativity even if you want to, which means there’s not a lot of that in the Philippines.

Actually, as a creative person, I really can’t comprehend compromising on quality. It’s like selling my soul to the devil if I have to be forced to create dumb shows just to be part of the television industry. Here in the Philippines, no one is even bold enough to sponsor and promote independent film making or television shows with an edge.

Well, I guess it all boils down to our lack of originality. Filipinos are afraid to try something new because they fear being ridiculed if they fail. So they stick to tried and tested formulas with the same plot and ending or just copy off reality TV shows.

Hey, on companies’ advertising… what if the economy opened up and foreign companies started coming in? And they started lobbying for quality on the shows they want to see before they advertise on TV? Would it lead to “brainier” shows (or at least less zombie-like shows)?

This is the strategy of the Aquino family in their rise to power:Television. Kris Aquino, the Seductress/Adulterer is on the forefront of this Medium. Inspite of her failings in the “religious morality scale”; she is being shown as a role model for young Filipinos. She is also an effective campaigner of Noynoy Aquino. Together, with the Oligarch’s Media. These TRICKSTERS have made us elect an imbecile President. You can see the power of Mind Control; and the power of Suggestion, working effectively on the Psyche of Filipinos.

They also glorify poverty by giving us: win a prize contest programs. The poor; fall in line at unholy hours outside their TV studio, just to participate and win prizes. They interview the contestants; encouraging him/her to talk about his/her poverty stricken life. Putting his/her existence in our God forsaken land; as an ordinary situation in our country. Therefore, poverty is readily accepted as a way of life in us…Don’t complain; even if you are just eating, once a day. Because, almost everybody is as miserable , and as hungry as you…

This is putting in the mindsets of Filipinos that: poverty, miseries, OFWs, squatters, etc…are okay. Some sort of anesthesizing us, from our present situations. While, they (the Oligarchs); rule over us.

The only solution is to put a Publicly Supported Medium, that will counter this captive/ idiotic source of information. Give us the truth, without bias. Provide informations to help us become self reliant…this can be done by the progressive media people in our country. Future Filipino generations will owe you a debt of gratitude, in following the right path of being a true source of media information; instead of media information manipulators…

People who are working with the Oligarch media; are not true to their professions: in giving true and right informations to their countrymen. Instead, they sold themselves and their souls already, to the Oligarchs..

Thanks Ilda, for the article. Media or Source of information is just one of the fronts; whereby the Filipinos have to wage a struggle in order to take their country back…it is a long fight…the enemies are well entrenched…but it is winnable… 😯

People who are working with the Oligarch media; are not true to their professions: in giving true and right informations to their countrymen. Instead, they sold themselves and their souls already, to the Oligarchs.

Yes to the above. They just claim to be honest but they are not. P.Noy has the most powerful tool of all: the media. So it does not really matter if he is actually a dud. I’m really interested to find out how long this deception can last. We’ll find out soon enough.

”
Carlota JovenAugust 8, 2010 at 10:21am
Subject: about kris aquino
Can you believe that she is a possible judge for miss universe 2010? Shit this bitch.. Pardon me. We cannot afford to have another monopoly of Aquino popularity on international tv. This kris cannot deliver English well and her body language is insecure and low class like her brother. Worst, this woman is not a role model. She said recently on local TV that it’s okay to multiple men or ex husbands as long as there’s only one mother. Something like that. Anyway, we need to write a petition letter to miss universe website that they are making a mistake of giving this bitch the possibility of a juror. Get your connection goin.. I am sick with this woman too….

Lol…”

What do you think? Do you think AP could petition Miss Universe to reconsider hiring her a judge?

Kris Aquino is going to be a judge in the Ms Universe Pageant?!? You are the first to break this news to me. I hope to God it’s not true.I can just imagine her head swelling up right now. Definitely, to the moronic crowd, this is going to be another feather in her cap and might make her totally invincible. She’s definitely moving up despite her public scandals thanks to the publicity machine owned and operated by her family and friends. Obviously, the international community do not know about her shenanigans. She is inappropriate as a judge in what is supposedly a wholesome event. You can send this blog to your friend and maybe it can help enlighten the committee.

The Seductress/Adulteress Kris Aquino, a judge for Miss Universe contest? The Pegeant can decide for itself. I have no business on their decisions. They can make: Lindsay Lohan; Britney Spears; any Las Vegas Stripper/Prostitute; etc…people with who are mentally unstable/”immoral” as Judge..it’s what they want. At least: Kris Aquino has not yet bared everything (i.e., her private parts); like Britney Spears. The only thing she bared is her unrestrained Libido for a new man…with the blessings of the Philippine Roman Catholic Church…marriage annulments are like: “nabibili sa banketa sa Quiapo.” Anyway, she can just drop by the Quiapo Church, ask for forgiveness to the Black Nazarene, for being a Seductress/ Adulteress…”Reign my Libido, Oh God…for I cannot control them…I want another new man..” What a Jerk these people are…”.

I learned so much from National Geographic Channel, History Channel, and Discovery Channel. I hope these shows are being watched by a lot of Filipinos.

We are not being forced to watch the terrible and mediocre shows from ABS CBN and others. We are not forced to believe what’s in the Filipino media. They will control you only if you let them. No one’s forcing you. Besides we have a lot of other shows available in our cable networks and stations. It all boils down to the individual if he seeks information, knowledge, wisdom, depth, deep and thematic,etc. Thankfully, the Filipinos have the English language and freedom to seek and discover.

Unfortunately, not everyone has access to cable TV. Most Filipinos only have access to free to air television. Yes, we are not being forced to watch them but such is the power of the media and such is the weakness of the Filipino mind. It is obvious that most Pinoys do not seek the right “information, knowledge, wisdom and depth.” Most are happy with telenovelas actually. They really don’t see anything wrong with watching too much of it. What we watch says a lot about us.

Of course Lorenz if people never cared about other peoples’ opinions and did as they pleased because they want to, your solution is viable. Pinoy society is pretty much keeping up with the Jones’ and it would be painful if you couldn’t keep up with all their prime time viewings and the chizmis.

I regularly watch NHK World because of their shows that focus on science, culture and tradition, food, farming, etc.. While we have these too on local TV, we see snippets of different topics in one show, but none are in-depth. Jessica Soho Reports for example will talk about different food to keep us cool in the summer for about 10 minutes and then jump on to the next topic, say for example, on liposuction before moving on to the next topic..

May short attention span ba tayong mga Pilipino, that we can’t sit for long to watch more detailed stuff?

You’re welcome. I have been meaning to write about TV for quite some time now but I’ve just been sidetracked with the election and P.Noy’s gaffes. It was actually P.Noy’s comment about television programming when he visited GMA-7 recently that reminded me about this topic. I found it ironic that he would acknowledge that local TV has too much entertainment shows as opposed to “socially relevant” programs. It goes to show that he has no idea how his handlers helped propel him to power. I could not believe it especially since he starred in a film called “Noy” which is also another one without substance. I can’t believe he doesn’t realise how dumb the electorate are for falling for those things. He probably thinks that people actually voted for him because of his greatness. He is totally clueless.

Re: Jessica Soho – I think she has the idea but does not want to prolong the discussion for fear of boring the audience. Goes to show that she either knows them too well or just underestimates them. Sigh…

Great article Iida, i want to see more nonsensical TV documentaries exploring governmental policies in depth and how our problems as a nation could be solved. I want the government to develop a TV network similar to NHK in Japan. I know we already have one, but it is not run professionally, meaning the quality of programming is way inferior and its reception in the countryside is blurry. When I was home, I tried watching a talk show during late hours, only my father and myself persevered in this painful exercise because in my case, the talk show hosts and their guests were talking about GMA and Teodoro. Morato and another aging matronly sounding co-host were getting the opinions of a woman journalist, she must have been the chucked Belinda Olivares Cunanan and an economist of a think tank. I liked the program because there were no commercial breaks but it was sooo blurry, it was hard to focus on content, especially with the unprofessional ways of the two hosts in handling the discussions. They clearly were promoting GMA policies and Teodoro’s candidacy. Make no mistake about it, I am a Teodoro supporter, but I think it is unprofessional for TV hosts like that to be so partial to the government and to the candidacy of one candidate.

ABS-CBN has clearer reception in our barrio and is very subtle in their support for P.Noy. Their candidate of course had TV commercials 24 hours a day, now we know why, one oligarch alone contributed 100 million pesos to his campaign, I wonder if this same member of the oligarchy would contribute to a worthier cause the same amount (just a side thought). ABS-CBN continuously publicized the survey results of two survey firms showing N/A as the leading candidate and in all occasions portraying the race only between Villar and Aquino, with N/A clearly getting a firm hold of the top spot. You see this subtle mind-conditioning of the masses. In my conversations with the village folks, they said they would vote only for a candidate who would surely win, thus, Gordon or Teodoro was not even among those they were considering. And since Villar was portrayed to be corrupt, people got scared and thus, voted for N/A. What a swindle that last election was.

What I am saying is that we need a BBC, NPR, NHK type of TV, since our people are truly gullible and are not readers. In other countries, like in Thailand, people are readers, and they read things in their own language. I think that we need a strong public television station, one that is not perceived as a propaganda machine, like the current RPN 9. It has to be one that serves public interest, a true public television network. We cannot count on the change of hearts of TV executives of commercial TV stations. The government has a clear interest in educating the masses through public television, we should have one that can compete for entertainment value with the commercial ones and it could be funded with public funds.

The thing is, most Filipinos still think that politics is boring. So TV networks put these shows on the grave yard shift. We need hosts like Jon Stewart who can make socially and politically relevant shows more interesting to the average Juan Tamad. The internet does manage to capture a few people who were otherwise not interested in politics but it is not enough.

The government does have to step in and should actually see reforming television programming as one of its priorities. The mind is very powerful. If the yellow mob used television (and other mediums) to fool Filipinos into voting for P.Noy even if he didn’t do much the entire time he was a Congressman and a Senator, then television (and other mediums) can also move people and turn them into more productive individuals.

It is quite obvious to most of us that the Philippines’ not so clever media, which is owned and operated by friends and family members of P.Noy, deviously concocted a fantasy wherein they made everyone believe that a member of an Aquino clan will be the savior of the Philippines. P.Noy’s image as a saintly person has been maintained and reinforced through song, radio, television, and film. This kept the majority of the voters entertained and consequently voted for P.Noy (that is, if you believe that the election wasn’t rigged).

The Philippine media managed to accomplish creating a P.Noy fantasy and made him appear legendary by disseminating a lot of negative propaganda against P.Noy’s rivals during the election by referring to other candidate’s as “evil.” The idea was that, if a candidate made lots of money throughout his career or if the candidate appeared to be smarter than P.Noy, they told voters that the candidate was either evil or corrupt, never mind if some of them actually had more to offer the Filipino people in terms of eradicating poverty in the country than P.Noy.

Because P.Noy was no match to the accomplishments and credentials of the other candidates, P.Noy’s media handlers had to distract the voters away from the truth onto something else like the other candidates’ perceived shortfalls. Never mind that P.Noy himself have lots of shortfalls himself. And his shortfalls are becoming very obvious now that he is already the president. Fortunately, the Philippine media that helped propel him to power can only do so much to cover up his errors of judgment to the detriment of the entire country.

One can only imagine what would happen if every Filipino woke up one day soon to the reality that P.Noy is really more of a dud than legendary figure like Aragon. I’m guessing there will be a lot of Filipinos who will be very, very angry and disappointed at the deception. Such is the ongoing saga in the Philippine history written and directed by the Philippine media themselves

Sorry to be side track with your topic…Anyway, I just wanted to share this one.

MANILA, Philippines – Senator Richard Gordon could keep his position as a lawmaker despite being chairman of the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC), according to a Supreme Court ruling.

In a 25-page decision, the court said Gordon had not violated the Constitution since the PNRC is neither a government office nor an office under a government-owned or controlled corporation (GOCC).

The decision was in response to the petition filed by former Quezon City Rep. Dante Liban, Reynaldo M. Bernardo and Salvador M. Viari asking the court to declare Gordon’s Senate seat forfeited.

Gordon was chairman of the PNRC board of governors at the time of the suit.

The petitioners, all officers of the PNRC’s chapter in Quezon City, contested that Sec. 13, Article VI of the Constitution states that no senator or member of the House of Representatives may hold any other office without forfeiting his seat.

But the court said the petitioners have no standing to file the petition, noting that an individual could only make such an action if he is entitled to the public office allegedly usurped by the respondent.

“In the present case, petitioners do not claim to be entitled to the Senate office. Clearly, petitioners have no standing to file the present petition,” the court said in its ruling penned by Associate Justice Antonio Carpio. – GMANews.TV

Wonder what happened to Gerry Geronimo’s Ating Alamin-type programs? Then there are shows like Ernie Baron’s of old, and the much-neglected Knowledge Channel which is Ch 42 on Sky Cable. And of course, for children, they should bring back pure uncut, unedited editions of Sesame Street. In English.

Well, if I were to make a show, I would first target children because at least the children’s brain is still developing and are easier to mold unlike grown-ups who have had years of mind conditioning already.

I would make shows like Sesame’s Street. In the show, I would touch on topics such as discipline, history and love of self and others. I know these things are already supposed to be taught at school but what they learn at school is entirely different from what they see on TV and out on the street.

For grown-ups, I would create gardening shows, cooking shows and all different hobbies you can think of under the Philippine sun. It would be a chance to highlight what is good about being Filipino and what resources are available and of use to us as a people.

It is so easy to think of stuff that can elevate people’s awareness of their surroundings and untapped capabilities.

The problem with these TV execs is that they just end up copying off other western shows. Unfortunately, they don’t even copy shows that are “socially relevant” as P.Noy would say it.

For me, if i were to make a show…. being a health care professional in the US I tend to be concern when it come to population explosion. I have seen mindless and unwanted pregnancies leading from unwanted parents. In the Philippines, our population is slowly creeping up to 100 million. Its scary if you think about it. How in the world can the gov’t sustain this drive?…in our words the children just end up lost in the society and the dumps. I would like to see a government program for “Vasectomy for all males”. For willing adult male patients, we could somehow slowdown the growth by 20%, its a good start. The procedure only takes 15 minutes and it can be done as an outpatient procedure.

1. Focus more on education and advantages of getting a vasectomy.
2. more reassurances from doctors that the procedure is absolutely safe.
3. They will not lose there sexual drive.
4. Massive advertisement on TV, radios, etc.
5. Free vasectomy clinic sponsored by a private party or government.

To tell you the truth, if one doctor (Urologist) opens up a clinic or a business and advertise it as “Vasectomy procedure for only P2,000.00”. I bet this doctor will be a millionaire in no time. I would like to see that happen. In the US it cost about $1000.00 per procedure. The only thing that Filipinos need is education regarding the procedure. Imagine, if he do 10 cases per day thats P20,000 per day….well you do the math. I am not sure about the Catholic church on how they would view this….who cares we are trying to slow down the population explosion. I will commend this doctor or whoever for making a huge contribution to our society. Of course, this procedure has to be done professionally and willingly. This options should be open to all consenting male adults.

There’s a point to what you are trying to say GabbyD but I don’t get it. Are you saying the television programs in the country is sufficient enough for you and you are perfectly fine with the way things are? If that’s your point, then you are entitled to your opinion but I still maintain that the current programs obviously do not serve to elevate the people’s intellect. P.Noy’s win in the recent election is proof of how dumb the electorate has become because they were gullible enough to believe the way the media has portrayed him.

Entertainment shows are fine in small doses but not all the time. The proportion of the socially relevant shows is small compared to the dumb shows on air. The proportion of the time spent by Filipinos watching dumb shows are greater than the time they spend reading or being more productive. As I said in my blog, good shows can actually inspire people to read more books.

ur argument, i think, is that there used to be good programs on TV. OK.

i just gave u examples of what might (from my limited viewing of them) be tv shows NOW. u seem to agree they are good — u didnt dispute the examples.

so now ur argument is, there may be good shows now, but there arent enough of them? tama ba?

what is “enough of them” mean?

my TV watching memories of 80s TV basically is the same as yours, and we have just mentioned ALL of the educational programs back in the day. there are more hours of the day dedicated to education/english shows before?

how much more english/educational content is available NOW vs then? i wonder? this is an empirical question, and a media student can count the hours on TV for foreign shows in english.

also, chino says that there should be english language shows on TV. i agree that abs/gma used to have english shows on primetime. i enjoyed them. but NOW, there is an entire free channel dedicated to english shows. i was so excited actually when studio 23 came out, coz that was when i was exposed to even more US tv shows, which, prior to studio 23, i could only consume on free tv on gma7/abs from 7 to 9 (coz primetime was shared between local and foreign shows at the time).

i remember too RPN9 had mostly foreign shows on its primetime sked, even as it experimented on local content (e.g. buddy en sol is RPN 9). sadly, the TV station is now gone.

Are you trying to say that you are my age? I’m sure you are older than me 😉

I didn’t say there used to be good programs on TV. There might have been, but they were imported or the concept was copied from overseas. My point with Chino was that, they shouldn’t have to dub shows in English because most Filipinos should be able to understand it and it is a good way for Filipinos to sharpen their english proficiency.

If you will refer to the figures BongV was kind enough to provide us, it will answer most of your questions.

@GabbyD – how about you frame your question within the context of the prime time shows – using the Pareto Principle

Below is the survey result for TV ratings in June 21, 2010 as conducted by AGB Nielsen survey company in the Philippines. The following list is a result in percentage of viewers for a respective date and time table.

how much more english/educational content is available NOW vs then? i wonder? this is an empirical question, and a media student can count the hours on TV for foreign shows in english.

If we are to take on the Local TV level, I’d say back then there was more. However in my opinion having English shows certainly offered young pinoys something different. Estrada helped in taking out English shows specifically from local channels. Of course if you add in Cable tv now, there is quite a bit more to choose from but not every juan has the money for it.

Sadly, the quality of sesame street has diminished now as opposed to then.

I wish the local stations would return to the old arrangement of mixing foreign and local programs. What happened was the separation of local and foreign content channels (I think Erap signed a law like this… again, another point against Erap for me). For example, Ch.2 and 7 show only local programs, or a few foreign programs dubbed in Tagalog! Sister stations Studio 23 and QTV are where more foreign programs are put in… but still mixed with local programs… and also sometimes dubbed in Tagalog! I miss the days when after local news programs, you could watch Airwolf or Knight Rider afterwards, instead of some emo local drama or telenovela. I blame this channel separation as a contributor to the ruin of local TV quality.

They should stop with the Tagalog/Filipino dubbing as well. Show ’em in English! And if Filipinos dub anime, do it in English like in the old days!

I was actually shocked when they started dubbing foreign shows. If the show is in Korean or some other language we are not familiar with, that’s a different story but to dub English shows?!? Gee…and to think that watching more English films and shows is actually one of the fastest ways to learn and be proficient in the language. Tsk-tsk…one dud leader can really damage a whole country. I didn’t think that it was possible to bring our edge in the English language with other Asian countries to a halt. It is total shame.

Now P.Noy is seen as advocating tagalog in his speeches more. It’s as if it’s going to make a real difference to people’s attitude. Well, this will finally prove to those Tagalog advocates that progress is not in using tagalog, but in getting rid of the general “palpak” attitude of Da Pinoy. In fact, we will not be able to compete with other countries if we keep this up.

But you can see how it’s actually being implemented… ABS-CBN and GMA are heavily focused on local shows, while Studio 23 has a bigger share of foreign shows. To me, Studio 23 is more like how it was during the 80s. ABS-CBN really “messed things up” in my view. I know having two channels is a holdover of the VHF/UHF divisions. But I wonder what’s the use how that there’s cable? So my assumption is that policy of one channel that’s more on local content, and the other on more foreign content.

the broadcast networks can always decide what they want to dish out because it is after all their business. bad excuse nga yung reasoning na TV and (film) is just a reflection of the times kasi the broadcast networks can control what they release on a daily basis. kaya nga their public affairs divisions are also business-driven. the more sensationalized the reporting,editing and topics are, the better. in fact here is a simple formula that the news programs use for their 30-minute run: 1) pro-noynoy news 2) anti-gma news 3) rally by 5-30 individuals (same faces, same groups) 4) showbiz tsismis 5) self-serving outreach program by the channel 6) promotion of own shows 7) the weather 8) foreign news. the whole shebang has been fostering the dangerous education of the Filipino zombie. thank God there’s cable and the net.

If they say that it’s a reflection of the times, then the Philippines has been stuck in time for a few decades now! Imagine, noontime shows are still the in-thing. Joey de Leon is almost 60 and is still hosting. What the heck! The shows are rather, a reflection of the people who patronise it and the people behind it = mediocre!

I have observed that many Filipinos let their TV apparatus run the whole day long. Even when guests come, they let the TV on. No wonder that most of the Filipinos remain and are getting dull and idle.

In Europe, it is rude to entertain guests with a running television, except when they gather together to see a desired program like Sports, Concerts, documentation, etc. After that, they turn off the TV to discuss the topic and comment on the same.

As a Balikbayan who have lived for almost two decades in Europe, I was schocked when I first saw how the Filipino moderators deliver News over the television. Newscasters show their emotions, as if they did not learn the word “neutral” when they studied Journalism. To my ears, there are a lot of intrigues and sensationalism in Filipino TV. Added to that, the Telenovelas with overacting and crying characters, the loud and chaoctic Wowowee, the dancing, sexy girls in Eat Bulaga, led to my boycott of Filipino TV and that I am proud of – since 2006!

If only could we come up with a government-run, with neutral, educational and informative programming, Filipinos can see and know things from different perspectives thus change their ways of thinking. But again, the current situation brings me back to reality and I would say, this “if” is only a dream.

I have observed that many Filipinos let their TV apparatus run the whole day long. Even when guests come, they let the TV on.

Gee, good thing it’s not just me who think that’s rude. It’s one of those phenomenon that ranks right up there with staring at people without being subtle or not smiling back when you smile at them or talking about you within earshot. Hayayay…did Filipinos learn their manners from local TV?

Amen, Ilda. I think television changed the way I viewed certain things. I was fortunate enough to have cable during my teenage years. I can’t say that I viewed Discovery Channel religiously but there were some good TV that I was exposed to — mostly WB and Nickelodeon shows, don’t judge me. 😛 But through that, I went to forums where I met people, some really smart people too, who discussed these shows. We would analyze them. We would have arguments. We would agree to disagree. It was very civilized. I think the emotional tone of some US shows made for a more fulfilling viewing experience to me than the local fare which had the emotional highs and lows serviced to our manangs in the house (somebody said that here in AP).

Ang napapansin ko pa sa mga reporters at newscasters dito (coughABS-CBNcough), they do not know how to make a strong stance on a subject. It’s either they throw their weight around or sa simula pa lang, they respond in a biased manner. Uh, there was even one reporter who disagreed on the manner that Fr. Villegas “scolded” Kris Aquino on camera. That wasn’t even scolding, in my opinion. And said reporter was making a big deal out of it.

the reporter or any media should not even be at the church or covering it kasi nga they end up propagating whatever was served there kaya opining on it is also futile. it’s where kris was supposed to be attending what her religion can afford her. if it was a scolding from her favorite priest or religious figure then let the woman have it.

No need to be ashamed about watching cartoons or animated shows because I love watching them too. In fact, I try to write scripts for animated videos myself in my spare time for my own personal work. The whole video just takes a lot of time to finish though so I have a lot of scripts just sitting in my drawer.

RE: the newscasters in the Philippines, they do show their bias for or against the person they are reporting about. Even the supposedly professionals can’t even show professionalism. Gusto din kasi mag-artista ng mga yan. They are not about simply being journalists but rather, they just want to be in the limelight lang talaga.

“Gusto din kasi mag-artista ng mga yan. They are not about simply being journalists but rather, they just want to be in the limelight lang talaga.”

That was my comment in one thread here in AP. ( http://antipinoy.com/great_job_noynoy/ ) Right after the inauguration of his Excellency Nonoy, a bunch of ABS CBN talking heads became part of the palace. Even during the campaign, they were cheerleaders for the imbecile.

Well, it only means one thing, it is already obvious to a lot of people that these so called newscasters are not in it to serve the public but rather, to cater to their own vanity. The sad thing is, majority of Filipinos think highly of these people. They do deserve each other.

Ang masaklap lang ay pinapanuod din sila ng nakararami tapos they go irresponsibly announcing their unresearched thoughts. Wah! I do believe that there are still journalists that do responsible research, I just hope that there are more of them and that they continue to present straight facts and not just semi “op-ed” pieces.

“Funny enough, P.Noy recently questioned the amount of time television networks devote to entertainment shows compared to “socially relevant programming.” Although what he said is true of our television networks, this also is indicative how much in the dark he may be about how the television networks owned and operated by his pals helped give him more exposure on air (and more space on paper) during the election campaign than any other candidate.”

– totally totally agree.

ABS CBN turns people’s mind to mush or at least keeps it there. Then when they say Noynoy’s the greatest they easily agree and he strolls into Malacanang like it’s his birthright.

One thing ABS CBN has not done is document any Noynoy deeds.

Below is my recent take on a popular show abroad and why sometimes TV is called the “idiot box”.

I haven’t seen any episode of Jersey Shore but I’ve heard so much about it to know that I won’t like it. I also heard that the people who starred in it are not really from New Jersey. So, there you go- another manipulation by the media. People have to be careful about what they watch because things are not always what they seem.

P.Noy does think he is great and it is his birthright to be the leader of the Filipinos. He is not even aware that he is a dud because they soften the blow of bad news for him. The people around him have convinced him that he is a legend.

For me, if i were to make a show…. being a health care professional in the US I tend to be concern when it come to population explosion. I have seen mindless and unwanted pregnancies leading from unwanted parents. In the Philippines, our population is slowly creeping up to 100 million. Its scary if you think about it. How in the world can the gov’t sustain this drive?…in our words the children just end up lost in the society and the dumps. I would like to see a government program for “Vasectomy for all males”. For willing adult male patients, we could somehow slowdown the growth by 20%, its a good start. The procedure only takes 15 minutes and it can be done as an outpatient procedure.

1. Focus more on education and advantages of getting a vasectomy.
2. more reassurances from doctors that the procedure is absolutely safe.
3. They will not lose there sexual drive.
4. Massive advertisement on TV, radios, etc.
5. Free vasectomy clinic sponsored by a private party or government.

To tell you the truth, if one doctor (Urologist) opens up a clinic or a business and advertise it as “Vasectomy procedure for only P2,000.00″. I bet this doctor will be a millionaire in no time. I would like to see that happen. In the US it cost about $1000.00 per procedure. The only thing that Filipinos need is education regarding the procedure. Imagine, if he do 10 cases per day thats P20,000 per day….well you do the math. I am not sure about the Catholic church on how they would view this….who cares we are trying to slow down the population explosion. I will commend this doctor or whoever for making a huge contribution to our society. Of course, this procedure has to be done professionally and willingly. This options should be open to all consenting male adults.

Speaking of Philippine television,I still wonder why they still recycle the same plot for their so called telenovelas of good triumphing over evil.

“Tanging Yaman”
“Tayong Dalawa”
“Iisa pa Lamang”
etc…

Seriously,why do they always recycle these types of plot?It’s been overused already.

And that “Santino” crap,it’s somewhat different to the other BS shows because mainly,it’s like a couple of shows put into one.They started with a plot of this Santino kid on some church and then a month later,after that BS plot of theirs they decided to change it with Santino being kidnapped by some fat dude just to force him to beg for money.After another month they change the plot again about child rebels working for some NPA-like group until you get to their last plot of Santino getting kidnap by some girl where he “dies” although it was very predictable he was gonna live.The worse part is that they put every single actor and actresses ABS has in that show especially the ending where for some reason,they even included celebrities who didn’t even act in one of the shows plot like Charice.

You asked what happened to Phil showbiz? The writers are like moving targets – they just write stories to fit whoever is the sikat actor/actress at the moment, if it’s Charice, then they write her in the plot. They have very limited imagination. They also don’t want to disappoint their viewers so they stick to the tried and tested formula.

It has always been like that, the only important factor in a show/movie is, who is in it rather than what is in it. Put some Piolo, John Lloyd, Bea Alonzo, Marian Rivera there and they will be hit regardless of the plot.

No wonder nobody wants to air our shows in their countries like what we are doing on korean dramas.

I know.One sad media we have in this country.Now they’re having this so called “kantaserye” in ABS just because GMA copied Glee’s style of making characters sing like in a musical.Let me guess.If shows from Bollywood become famous here,the local media is gonna copy it too.No originality at all that it makes me want to puke.

There is no incentive for the local media companies to produce quality content in Tagalog. The burgis that gravitates toward intelligent dramas and comedies can access those on cable and on the internet. Of course, those shows are in English but that’s our curse as a (mostly) bilingual culture. It must be said, however, that none of us should feel nababawasan ang pagka-Pilipino natin kung English lang ang napapanood natin.

I’m inclined to think it’s a function of quality education on the part of viewers but I do have educated and well-to-do friends who are crazy about ‘Magkaribal’. The reality is… fragmented na talaga ang audience, here and abroad, kaya niche programming is the way to go (think HBO, Showtime, AMC).

Sure we can use better balanced programming like what ABS-CBN, GMA and the others had back in the late 80s kung saan magkakahalo-halo ang local (eg. Palibhasa Lalake, Pinoy Thriller) at banyagang comedies and dramas (eg. Murphy Brown, Picket Fences). Nagpapalabas pa nga noon ng prestige movies like Lawrence of Arabia and Bonnie and Clyde. I thought it was an ideal blend of programming that really helped me grow up to be a discerning adult viewer while not making me out of touch with local showbiz. (There’s value in not being out of touch.)

Seriously speaking, from your comment, you seem to agree that having quality shows will make a difference to our society but why do you want stop the discussion about this? Ika nga ng mga emo: Habang may buhay, merong pag-asa. You never know if some TV executive ends up reading this blog and suddenly develops a conscience. He might just wake up one day, have an epiphany, do a Jerry Maquire and overhauls the whole Philippine television network. We know it’s a long shot but weirder things have happened in this world before.

however, that none of us should feel nababawasan ang pagka-Pilipino natin kung English lang ang napapanood natin.

I would know. I’m not any less of a Filipino that I caught the English shows in Filipino TVs back then.

It’s unreasonable for us to expect the same of our media system.

Well, what with absolutely NO COMPETITION at all from the giant media mogul of the Lopezes’, its rather pragmatic not to expect any changes at all. See that, its something that even Pinoy TV culture downplays on: competition.

Honestly one of the most interesting solutions is to fight fire with fire. Have another institution with the money and resources of the Lopezes’ take them on in their own ground and offer a brutal alternative, as well with Manny Pangilinan’s TV5 and Pinoy TV lite GMA7. I know crap like this happens in America however but in the Philippines due to the fact its seen as a microcosm, it is even more apparent.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that in modern times the media is the apologist, cheerleader and mouthpiece of those in power. Even in countries like the U.S.A, the media (including the entertainment media) has an agenda and a bias to some degree or other. It’s unlikely that you will ever see much popular programming that will explore issues that contradict the axioms and agendas that are accepted as the mainstream norm. In short, a country’s media will generally reflect and promote, through it’s news coverage and general programming, the mindset that those in power want to promote in order to maintain the status quo.

It may well be that the Phillipines has meaningless programming that promotes dependence and escapism, but that’s the whole point – to promote dependence and divert people’s attention away from how much they’re being screwed. For that reason, broadcasters cannot and should not be depended upon to do what may considered “good” for the advancement of the public. It’s not their job because they’re not activists or politicians.

You forget Ben that in the U.S.A, variety is embraced and accepted. Its not as if the alternatives are being hidden and they are as accessible, though of course the power of advertisement and exposure there is just as important. But despite the fact I agree that the media panders to the status quo, many still do it within the boundaries of trying to define the standard of journalism.

Also many people can catch certain subtleties to how certain media has an affinity for certain issues. As oppose to the Philippines where the zombification of the Yellow Media is at absolute full effect since the mid 80’s when Lopez invested in building up his ABS-CBN once again.

It may well be that the Phillipines has meaningless programming that promotes dependence and escapism, but that’s the whole point – to promote dependence and divert people’s attention away from how much they’re being screwed. For that reason, broadcasters cannot and should not be depended upon to do what may considered “good” for the advancement of the public. It’s not their job because they’re not activists or politicians

That is why the government should step in and produce shows that are “socially relevant.” We can’t really rely on the TV executives themselves to change the current set-up since the current set-up help give them a fat pay check. Unless they become philantropist like Bill Gates and Warren Buffet who will gladly give away their hard earn dough to creative film makers, the Philippine television and film industry will remain mediocre.

Yes, but why would the government step in to create programming that helps the general population to become independent critical thinkers? That would threaten their power because more people would recognize just how useless the government is and more people would be motivated to bring change to the inequalities around them – which means less power for the rulers.

Secondly, critical thinking and adherence to government media “propaganda” are incongruent. No citizens in the West would acknowledge that they trust the government do what’s in their best interests much of the time. They are sceptical of the news media (because there is always an agenda being sold) and they are sceptical that governments are always honest (because much of the time they’re not).

Therein lies the accountability of the voters and their ON-GOING role as constituents of any politician they elect. That is one political motivation that remains untapped due to Da Pinoy voter’s inability to appreciate the immense power lying right under their noses.

Yes, but why would the government step in to create programming that helps the general population to become independent critical thinkers?

If the people currently running the government really have a heart like they say they do, they would help the public become “independent critical thinkers.” But we know that some of them might have had their hearts removed, we already know that what I am proposing in this blog is impossible to happen in the Philippines. It was P.Noy though who actually called the attention of the TV networks to review their programming. You never know if he is capable of flexing his muscles in reforming them. He might just surprise us. In other countries, the government does help. The UK has the BBC and the Australians have the ABC.

Here’s something about the BBC (from the net) for everyone’s info:

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is the largest broadcasting organisation in the world.[1] Its global headquarters are located in London and its main responsibility is to provide public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, Channel Islands and Isle of Man. The BBC is an autonomous public service broadcaster[1] that operates under a Royal Charter.[2] Within the United Kingdom its work is funded principally by an annual television licence fee,[3] which is charged to all United Kingdom households, companies and organisations using any type of equipment to record and/or receive live television broadcasts;[4] the level of the fee is set annually by the UK Government and agreed by Parliament.[5]

Outside the UK, the BBC World Service has provided services by direct broadcasting and re-transmission contracts by sound radio since the inauguration of the BBC Empire Service in December 1932, and more recently by television and online. Though sharing some of the facilities of the domestic services, particularly for news and current affairs output, the World Service has a separate Managing Director, and its operating costs are funded mainly by direct grants from the UK government. These grants are determined independently of the domestic licence fee.

The Corporation’s ‘guaranteed’ income from the licence fee and the World Service grants are supplemented by profits from commercial operations through a wholly owned subsidiary, BBC Worldwide Ltd. The company’s activities include programme- and format-sales, magazines including Radio Times and book publishing. The BBC also earns additional income from selling certain programme-making services through BBC Studios and Post Production Ltd., formerly BBC Resources Ltd, another wholly owned trading subsidiary of the corporation.

ilda, maybe let’s also consider radio as a means to save philippines. the grassroots who cannot afford electricity use radio as their source of information because battery is cheaper. also, the elderly (our source of wisdom) are more into listening radio since their visions are already dysfunctional. where i am, the voices from the radio reverberates the morning air; it’s irritating when a hearing impaired elderly listens though. however, it’s just unfortunate that radio stations now, like bombo radyo & radyo agong, are just like abs-cbn & gma tv in their programming and the way they provide news, which are all full of bias asides. could be the dictates of the oligarchs? 😥

I would like to see those “mega engineering” type shows in the local TV. Our structures may not be as impressive as our Asian neighbors, but featuring them may generate some interest in the sciences among kids other than being “emo”.

Why is Kris Aquino being considered the Oprah of the Philippines, in contrast to Oprah, she is the spoiled brat daughter of the oligarch, Oprah has humble beginnings and rose to prominence due to sheer talent. And Oprah does not only interview stupid movie stars who have nothing interesting to stay other than dodge nonsensical questions about their private lives. Oprah interviews writers and political activists too. More than that Oprah is a philanthropist and very different from the attention-hungry Kris Aquino.

I know, do you think we should barrage the site with our opposition to the selection of Kris as one of the judges? Personally, I don’t give a hoot about this beauty contest, but my friend thinks Kris is a poor representative of the Philippine to this international competition. Hmmm. . . go for it guys, those of you are strongly opposed to this prospect.

the problem is clear enough. we can do our 2 cents worth.
i never buy any of the goods that advertise in and support those shows. there will always be alternative goods of better quality that don’t need these “ad campaigns”.
blame the ad agencies in bed with the media, part of the mind-conditioning conspiracies designed to maintain the mediocrity of the status quo.